


Time Roulette Go!

by KrazyPerson6, multifandommess



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! - All Media Types, Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Ancient Egypt, Dragonshipping, M/M, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-13
Updated: 2020-01-16
Packaged: 2020-06-27 08:56:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19787551
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KrazyPerson6/pseuds/KrazyPerson6, https://archiveofourown.org/users/multifandommess/pseuds/multifandommess
Summary: Joey is sent back in time to ancient Egypt and meets Atem. Little does he know that he'll develop feelings for the other boy while he tries to find a way back to his own time.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is actually an old story, originally written back in 2015. It is an adaption of a roleplay between myself and multifandommess. I play Joey and she plays Atem, and everyone else. It was originally posted on Fanfiction.net, but now that I have an Ao3 account and have started to write some fanfics again I decided to go ahead and rework this one and post it here as well. For the most part it has only been given some very minor edits.
> 
> We are both rather proud of this story and I'll work on slowly uploading it as we edit the chapters and I draw pictures to go with some of the major scenes.

Atem frowned as he slipped away from Siamun's watchful eyes, making his way into a secret passageway that led down to the dungeons before anyone could notice that he was gone. Though everyone seemed to think him naive due to him only recently ascending the throne in place of his late father, Atem was no fool: he noticed the commotion a few weeks prior, though the guards (as well as his priests, irritatingly enough) seemed keen on keeping the matter from him, and he noticed the periodic trips to the dungeon that Seth would take while accompanied by a few guards—yet he had yet to feel the slightest bit of danger.

It just didn't make sense... and so Atem figured if no one would give him the answers he wanted, then he would just have to find the answers himself. With that in mind, he cautiously made his way through the dimly lit dungeon, peeking into the cells before coming to a stop as he caught sight of a young man who looked to be his own age, his arms chained to the wall and his body littered with countless injuries.

It was only when the boy's eyes opened and met his own that he snapped out of his horrified daze—he knew he had to grow accustomed to such sights now that he was pharaoh, but this person... he couldn't say what it was, but there was something that told him that this person wasn't someone dangerous—yet if he really wasn't dangerous, then why was he in the dungeons, and in such bad shape at that? Unsure of what to say (or if he should even attempt conversing with this oddly-dressed prisoner), Atem remained silent for the moment—if this person was any danger, then having the pharaoh standing so close by would surely prompt some sort of violent reaction.

Joey stirred slowly from his fitful sleep and blinked up at the figure standing in front of the cell. "Huh, what, who are you? I haven't seen you in here before. You here to torture me more, you damn little bastard?" He pulled at the chains that bond him, but it was futile, they wouldn’t budge an inch.

Atem frowned, feeling the slightest bit affronted by the boy's harsh tone (though he reasoned that it was fully justified, judging from his state and the mention of torture). "No, I am not," he began slowly, unsure of how much to say—apparently this person didn't realize who he was speaking to. "I had merely wondered what my guards were hiding from me, and it seems I have my answer." Atem stepped a bit closer to the cell so he could get a better look at the prisoner, inadvertently offering him a better view of himself at the same time.

Joey glared at the shorter boy, trying to gauge if he was like the others, a threat, or not. "If they are your guards, can't you tell them to let me out of here? And you still didn't tell me who you are," he added with a bit of a sneer in his voice.

"I have the authority to, yes, but if all prisoners were released on their word alone, the streets would be flooded with the blood of the innocent. How can I know that you aren't a threat?" At the boy's second comment, Atem couldn't help but frown. "I realize that I was only recently coronated, but I believed all of my people knew the face of their pharaoh by now—it seems I was mistaken, however."

"What the hell, Pharaoh?" Joey was now more awake and started to notice something strange about the young man. "Yeah, wait a minute," he stared closer at Atem. "Yugi? What are you doing down here? And in that get up? And so tan? I didn't even know you could tan, man." He was very confused. How could his best friend be here in this crazy place? Following the same thought, how could he be here in the first place? It didn't make any sense to the poor confused blond.

Atem blinked, his expression faltering into one of genuine confusion. "I apologize, but I believe you're mistaken... I do not know of any people by the name of 'Yugi'—my name is Atem." His curiosity was now piqued—none of his people would fail to recognize him, let alone confuse him for someone else.... Just who is this person...?

"Dude, is this some crazy cosplay thing? If it is you really need some help. You don't lock people in dungeons and torture them." Joey was getting more and more confused with each second that passed.

Atem sighed, shaking his head. "It seems as if my guards have done a bit too much damage, if you're speaking of such nonsensical things." Unless, of course, this young man was already insane before being locked up, in which case it would be in everyone's best interest to leave him where he could do no harm—though Atem found this highly unlikely; after all, the boy seemed to be genuinely confused, rather than insane. "Tell me, what is your name, and how did you enter my palace?"

"My name is Joey Wheeler. I was walking home from school and suddenly I was in some big open courtyard. Your goons attacked me and locked me up in here. I did nothing to deserve this treatment!" His confusion was slowly turning into a boiling rage that was hard to contain.

Atem frowned. "You appeared within the palace without going past the front gates—it's only natural that my guards would assume that you were a thief or assassin of some sort. However, I do agree that this treatment is unjust, especially since you were kept here without my knowledge." His frown deepened as he added, "I will be having a word with my guards—and with my priests—later, rest assured."

Atem's expression returned to one of curiosity as he asked, "If I may, however... you said you were 'walking home from school'? What manner of nobility are you, to be receiving education at an institution?" After all, only the rich were able to receive education, yet the boy's clothes (tattered as they were) did not seem to reflect any sort of noble status whatsoever.

Joey raised his eyebrows. This was the first time anyone had compared him to nobility. "Dude, it's the 20th century, most people can go to school. I ain't any kind of ‘nobility.’ Far from it..." he laughed humorlessly. He was dirt poor, having to take on odd jobs just to survive.

"... 20th century?" Now it was Atem's turn to raise an eyebrow, wondering just how badly his guards had damaged this poor boy's brain. "I'm afraid you're mistaken—the year is 985, and only those with noble status have access to education."

"Dude, you are taking this whole cosplay role playing thing waaay too seriously. I can't possibly be in the past, right? Time travel isn't possible, right?" Joey continued staring at Atem. Suddenly, his stomach growled, very loudly.

"... Time travel...," Atem repeated, mulling the thought over. "It is unheard of, but not entirely impossible. Perhaps—" His train of thought was cut off by Joey's stomach loudly growling, and he couldn't help the amused smile that tugged at the corners of his lips. "I suppose this is no place for conversation—I will release you, on the condition that you do not leave my side while on the palace grounds." After all, he may be able to get him out once, but there was only so much he could do if Joey wandered off and got himself imprisoned again.

"Really? You think I could have a bath? I'm totally wrecked." Joey also needed new clothes, but he didn't want to impose too much after the guy finally agreed to let him out. His stomach growled again. "...and some food?" He tried to hide his blush at sounding so pathetic and needy.

Atem chuckled quietly. "Yes, a bath and food can be arranged, and perhaps a new set of clothing would be wise as well—the state of your attire aside, it is far too... foreign; you will only end up bringing more attention to yourself dressed in such odd clothing." Now, as for the matter of actually getting Joey out... he could leave to go and find a guard, but even as pharaoh he doubted he would be able to convince any of the guards to let out a prisoner (especially one that the priests were keeping from him, meaning that the guards would probably only take orders from the priest or priests that were in charge of this boy's imprisonment).

_ So I suppose I'll have to go with my second option, _ he thought to himself with a slightly impish smile as he held his millennium puzzle in his hands, already able to picture the lecture he would be receiving from Mahaad for doing this (as well as the not-so-quiet, mischievous approval he would get from Mana). The puzzle's glow illuminated the darkness of the dungeon, which in turn allowed the shadows to take form and slip into the keyhole, resulting in the tell-tale 'click' of a lock being opened moments later.

With that, Atem opened the cell door and stepped inside, eyeing the chains around Joey's wrists with a frown. "Give me one moment and I will have those removed." The shadows moved once more, making their way up to the keyholes on the shackles binding Joey's wrists, and a few seconds later the boy was a prisoner no longer. "Come," Atem instructed, turning and beginning to walk out of the cell. "And stay close—this dungeon is a maze designed to trap any prisoner who attempts to escape, so if you get lost, I cannot guarantee your safety."

Joey stared, dumbfounded, at what Atem had just done. "I didn't know the Puzzle could do that..." It was both cool and a little creepy at the same time. "So why is Kaiba here too? He was the jackass doing most of the torturing..." Joey clenched his fists at the memory of tan, oddly dressed, Kaiba's smug expression as he had beaten him. The bastard had obviously enjoyed what he was doing and Joey wanted to make him pay for it.

"You know of the puzzle, yet you claim to be from the future... interesting," Atem murmured, keeping his pace slow so Joey could keep up without aggravating his injuries too badly. "My apologies, but I'm afraid I don't know who this 'Kaiba' you speak of is—what did he look like?" He assumed that Joey was speaking of one of the guards who had given his name at some point, since he had no knowledge of anyone in his palace that went by the name 'Kaiba'.

"You know...Kaiba, the tall asshole who likes tormenting people. He was wearing a stupid pointy blue hat and for some odd reason had the Millennium Rod. I thought that was Marik's, what's he doing with it?" Joey muttered the last part to himself.

Atem frowned at the mention of the Millennium Rod, making a mental note of the fact that this boy seemed to have at least some knowledge of the Millennium items despite them having only just been created during his father's reign. "The one you refer to as 'Kaiba' is one of my high priests, Seth—I do not know who this 'Marik' is, but Seth is the rightful owner of the Millennium Rod. As for the matter of him torturing you... I will be sure to have a long talk with him. I have repeatedly expressed to him that I do not condone such behavior, but apparently he is too prideful to listen," the last part came out as more of an annoyed grumble than a statement.

"How the hell did Kaiba become a priest?" Joey also found it very hard to picture the stiff boy actually owning a Millennium item. He didn't even believe in magic or that they could do anything.

Atem frowned. "Seth became a priest like anyone else--he took the exams, and his scores were the highest that the courts had ever seen." After a moment, he added, "What is this 'Kaiba' like? Because I can assure you that he and Seth are different people."

"He's a huge asshole who runs a game company and has an unhealthy obsession with Duel Monsters, and the Blue-Eyes White Dragon in particular." He grimaced just at the thought of the guy who was always insulting him and would barely even acknowledge him as a duelist.

Atem glanced over at Joey curiously. "'Duel Monsters?'" he echoed in confusion, before turning his attention back to their surroundings as he led Joey down a pathway that was tucked away, one that anyone would walk past had they not known it was there. "We're almost out, just a bit further."

Joey stumbled and almost fell over as he tried to follow after Atem. "I think all this blood loss is getting to me," he said sheepishly, trying to make a joke out of his weak state.

Atem quickly reached out and caught Joey before he could fall. "Just hold on a little longer," he encouraged, slinging Joey's arm around his shoulders to help him walk the rest of the way.

Joey tried to hold back a blush at the close contact. It was very strange to have the tiny boy be the one to hold him up. "So you're really not Yugi, huh." The concept was finally starting to sink in for him.

"I believe that's what I told you from the first time you referred to me with that name," the pharaoh responded wryly, keeping his pace slow as he walked the injured boy towards the exit of the secret passage. It took a few more minutes, but they finally reached the stone wall that served as the cover for the entrance, and Atem struggled for a moment to open it while keeping Joey upright before finally getting it to move, glancing around warily to make sure no one saw them before helping Joey out and closing the passage behind them. "I'll take you to my room, and we can tend to your injuries while a bath is drawn and a meal is prepared," he said, leading Joey through the extravagant palace halls towards his bedroom.

Joey flopped down on the nearest pillow once they entered the room. "God, I could eat a whole horse." He was starving; they had barely fed him the entire time he was in the dungeon.

Atem chuckled—not many people had the audacity to throw themselves on the pharaoh's bed without permission, but Atem was more amused than insulted. "I will be sure to have a large meal prepared for you, don't worry—in the meantime, we should take care of those injuries and get you bathed and dressed."

Taking a moment to leave his room and pull aside a servant, he arranged for a meal to be brought to his room (with no questions asked—one of the perks of being a pharaoh was that there were very few people who would question his orders, no matter how odd they could be) before reentering the room and helping Joey over to his private bathing area. "Alright, now strip and I will clean your wounds, and after your bath I will wrap them to make sure they heal properly." Thankfully he'd had plenty of experience giving first-aid despite being a prince (being around someone as klutzy as Mana required such skills to be second-nature), so this was nothing new to him.

"What? You want me to strip? In front of you? I can take a bath by myself you know, I'm not three years old." Joey was a little taken aback by Atem's command.

Atem gave Joey a flat look. "I cannot treat injuries that I don't have access to, and unless I'm mistaken, we are both male—I fail to see the problem."

"It's just kinda weird, you know. I don't even know you and you're going to see me naked." He really didn't know why he was getting so nervous; people took baths together in public baths all the time. It really wasn't that strange, was it?

"Again, I fail to see the problem—or is it uncommon in your time for people to take baths with other people around?" Frowning, Atem added, "And that aside, you aren't in any state to be taking a bath on your own; you might lose consciousness from all of your blood loss."

"Well, yes and no; depends on the country really." Joey sat up from the bed, got a sudden dizzy spell, and fell back down. "And I can to stay awake," he said weakly. The argument didn't hold much weight after his last action.

Atem rolled his eyes. "Yes, I can clearly see that," he responded dryly. "Now, please remove your clothing so I can take care of your injuries and so you can bathe." Though his words were fairly light, his eyes and tone both clearly showed that he would not be taking no for an answer—his words were an order, not a request.

"Well, gosh, your highness," Joey said sarcastically. Even so he started to remove his clothes, starting with his tattered and bloody shirt. Joey winced as the removal of his shirt reopened old wounds.

"I have to wonder if you even realize who you're speaking to," Atem grumbled, completely unused to such brazen disregard of status—it had been amusing at first, but now it was starting to grate on his nerves the slightest bit. When Joey finally obeyed him, he began taking out what he would need to clean out the wounds, kneeling by Joey's side and putting some antiseptic onto a small cloth. "This will probably sting," he warned before running it over the largest of the wounds, frowning in concentration and making a mental note to bring this up with Seth as well—prisoner or not, leaving a person's wounds in such a state was unforgivable.

"What, you someone important or somethin'?" Joey’s back arched and he let out a small gasp as the antiseptic did far more than sting. "Hey! That hurts.."

Atem raised an eyebrow. "For you not to know... do pharaohs not exist in your time?" He winced sympathetically. "My apologies—please try and bear with it for a little longer." He did his best to be as gentle and careful as possible as he meticulously cleaned out each and every injury.

"What's a pharaoh? Is that like a businessman?" Joey honestly had no idea what one was. It vaguely reminded him of something he had heard in history class, but he couldn't remember. It wasn't like he paid attention in any class but P.E. anyway.

Atem smiled in amusement. "A pharaoh is the person who rules over a country—I believe other countries refer to their leaders by different names, like 'king' or 'emperor' if either of those are more familiar terms to you."

Joey stared at him in amazement for a second before shrugging. He immediately regretted the action, cursing under his breath at the pain. "But you're still a human being, same as me."

Atem shook his head slightly, caught between being annoyed and amused. "I don't know how it works in your time or other countries, but here in Egypt the Pharaoh is seen as a god—in other words," he continued, an amused glint in his eyes, "were anyone to hear you say such a thing, it would be grounds for execution, among all the other things you've done and said so far."

"If that's so then why aren't you ordering me executed? You must not think the same way." Unless he was just toying with Joey and was planning all along to kill him; but what was the point of taking care of him if that was what he was planning?

"Just because I could, doesn't mean I will," he responded with a slight smile, setting down the bloodied rag and picking up a clean one before continuing his work. "As you said, I'm not the type to play god with people's lives—even if my people see me as a god, I only see myself as a regular human being just like anyone else." With a more genuine smile, he glanced up from his work to meet Joey's eyes. "You're the first to say such a thing to me—even Mana and Mahaad see me as a prince rather than a person, and they have been with me since we were young... it's a nice change."

Joey really didn't know how to respond to that. He didn't know why, but it was making him blush. What was it about this guy that could do that to him? "Um, you're welcome?" he responded awkwardly.

Atem chuckled, taking note of the boy's blush but not saying anything on the matter. He finished cleaning up all of the wounds on Joey's chest, arms, and back before putting the rag aside and rising to his feet, holding out a hand to help the other boy to his feet. "Come, now let's get you bathed, and your meal should arrive by the time you get dried and dressed."

Joey was still very self-conscious about being naked in front of the spiky-haired boy and was attempting to cover himself the entire time. Still using one hand to hide his privates, he reached out the other to take Atem's hand. Not saying anything, and still blushing, he followed the young pharaoh to the bath.

Atem bit his lip to stop himself from laughing at the boy's attempt to cover himself up, finding his modesty both amusing and oddly endearing. He led Joey over to the bath, which was filled with warm water and organic soap, and helped him into the large tub before picking up a lump of a paste-like substance from a small basin. Working the paste into a lather, Atem began rubbing it into Joey's skin, taking care to be gentle with all of the injured areas as he began washing all of the grime off of the boy.

Having his lower half covered by the soapy water made Joey slightly less embarrassed about the whole situation. "So do you have a girlfriend or something?" he asked, completely out of the blue.

Atem blinked, caught off-guard by the sudden question, before shaking his head with a rueful smile as he continued washing the other boy off. "I suppose I should be taking a wife soon, now that I've ascended the throne, but I'm afraid I have little interest in such things."

"Wife? What are you, 16? That's kinda young. Come to think of it, you're kinda young to be on the throne too." After he said it Joey began to regret it. There had to be a reason why he was a pharaoh at such a young age, and it probably wasn't a pleasant one.

Atem glanced away as Joey spoke, his hands stopping their movement as he fell into thought. "... It was my duty to take the throne in my father's... absence," he responded after a moment, the death of his father still weighing heavily on him despite how he appeared composed for his people. "And as pharaoh, producing an heir is essential—sixteen years of age is old enough to take a wife and produce an heir to take my place should something happen." It wasn't something Atem wanted to think about, but the safety of his country and his people was more important than his own desires and preferences.

“Dude, that's rough. I've never even been on a date. I can't imagine having that much pressure and responsibility placed on me." Joey played with the water absentmindedly, trying to picture himself in the same situation and failing.

Atem chuckled wryly, moving his hands to pick up more of the paste and lather it up before working on washing Joey's hair. "Not many people can--it's a large burden to carry, but I will do what I must for my people." After a moment's silence, he asked curiously, "Are things... different, in your time? Is it really that odd to speak of marriage at this age?"

Joey's head got pulled back as Atem washed his hair, causing him to look at the other boy upside down. "Yeah, most people don't get married until their 20's or even later."

Atem looked at him in genuine surprise. "Really? Even women? Most daughters are married off for dowry by at least fourteen... how different the future must be," he murmured. "It must be nice to not feel pressured to get married, though." He massaged the soap into Joey's hair, secretly enjoying the feeling of running his fingers through the boy's hair, as he continued speaking. "If people aren't required to get married at a young age, then what other options are available for them? Do they live on their own?"

"Well, when they are still teenagers they generally live with their parents and go to school." Joey leaned back further, getting dangerously close to placing his wet head on Atem's chest.

Atem forcibly ignored the slight blush on his cheeks at the close proximity, finding that he didn't mind it in the least, and he instead focused on continuing to wash Joey's hair as he spoke. "You mentioned school before, too... is education really available to all people regardless of status in the future?" Such a concept was pretty much unheard of, or at least as far as Atem knew, so he couldn't help but be surprised by this. "What is the schooling of the future like?"

"Well, this doesn't apply to everyone, but for me, school is... Well, I'm not very good at it, I only really enjoy playing sports and getting to hang out with my friends." Joey was hit with a pang of homesickness at the thought of his friends. He was really beginning to miss them.

"Sports? So what they teach you at school isn't purely educational?" Atem frowned sympathetically, taking note of Joey's homesick expression at the mention of his friends. "This 'Yugi' that you mistook me for—is he one of your friends? What is he like? And what of your other friends, what are they like?"

Joey looked wistful. "Yugi is my friend, I really miss the little guy. And Tristan, and Téa, and Bakura too." He didn't say it, but his expression said that all he wanted was to go home. He quickly hid a single tear that threatened to fall.

Atem remained quiet for a moment, picking and choosing his words carefully before speaking. "... I don't know how you came to be in this time, nor can I guarantee that I can send you home—however, you have my word that I will do everything within my power to find a way to return you to your proper time."

Joey looked up, surprised. "Really? I barely know you. You really do remind me of Yugi, and it's more than just the hair." He had to chuckle a little to himself at that.

Atem smiled slightly. "I am not the type of person to ignore someone in need—and that aside, it's the least I can do after the terrible treatment you received from Seth and my palace guards." He couldn't help but chuckle as well at the hair comment. "If his hair is similar to mine, then it's good to know that the people of the future still have good taste in hair styles," he responded jokingly, moving his hands down to wash Joey's back (while being sure to be mindful of his injuries).

Joey let out a little gasp as Atem's hands got a little too close to his rear. "Hey, watch where you're touching!" He blushed furiously.

Atem rolled his eyes, oblivious to just how far down Joey's back his hands had slipped. "I was merely washing your back; I fail to see what the problem is." Pulling his hands away, he turned to pick up a water basin, rising to his feet with it in his arms. "Now please stand so I may rinse you off."

Joey stood up, water dripping down his nude body. Only now did he notice the height difference between the two. Before he had been partly hunched over and been in too much pain to notice. "You're even short like Yugi."

Atem flushed slightly, his expression indignant. "I am not short," he immediately objected--but such an assertion was empty at best when even standing on his tip-toes wasn't enough to help him lift the basin of water above Joey's head.

Joey laughed, ruffling Atem's hair. "Shorty." He also just now realized that he was standing butt-naked in front of the other boy. There was nothing in reach to cover himself with though so he just stood there, slowly beginning to not care about his unclothed state.

Atem huffed, his blush darkening slightly in embarrassment. "I am not short! You're just... absurdly tall! Now lower yourself so I can finish washing you off!" he commanded, seeming much more like a petulant child than a powerful pharaoh.

"You order me up, and then you order me back down. What's next, sideways?" Despite saying this he did obey and leaned down to make himself shorter.

Atem frowned. "Well I didn't tell you to stand up higher than I could reach," he grumbled, lifting the bucket above Joey's head and carefully pouring the water on him, making sure all of the soap was washed away before setting the basin aside and helping Joey out of the bath. "Wait here, and I will go get you some clean clothing to put on."

Joey shook himself like a dog to shake off most of the water, then wrung his hair out, it was getting a little long, he should probably cut it soon. The blond hadn’t had a haircut in quite a while. He found a towel sitting near the bath and he wrapped it around his waist.

Now that he was alone, Joey took the time to look around the room. It was huge, to say the least, with lots of expensive looking furnishings. A tiny black kitten suddenly peeked out from one of these furnishings, a beautifully painted vase, and meowed at him. "Hello there, little fellow," Joey said, stooping down to pet the little creature.

Atem left to go and speak with a servant, returning a little while later carrying a bundle of clean clothing that would (hopefully) be long enough for the ridiculously tall boy. He couldn't help but smile as he returned to the bathing area to see Joey petting a black kitten, and he crouched down by Joey's side. "These little ones find their way into the palace all the time," he spoke quietly, scratching the kitten behind its ears and chuckling as it began to purr. "I don't know if the same remains true in your time, but here they are regarded as creatures closest to the gods, and are treated with the utmost respect." Remembering why he'd left the room to begin with, he handed Joey the clothes. "Here, you can get dressed; your meal will arrive at my room in just a few minutes."

"Thanks," Joey said, taking the clothes. He unfolded them and stared at them for a bit, trying to figure out how to put the foreign thing on. "Is this a dress? And what is this?" he asked, holding up the loincloth.

Atem shook his head in a mixture of amusement and bewilderment. "That is a Jellabiya--a common article of clothing for those who reside in the palace to wear." Atem avoided the word "servants" for the time being, getting the feeling that Joey would put up a fight and quite possibly outright refuse the clothing if he brought up such a thing at the moment. "And that is what is worn... to cover your nether area," Atem replied awkwardly, uncertain if the future had a term for the article of clothing and figuring that the blunt explanation would probably get the point across better than using words that Joey wouldn't understand.

Joey blinked. "Oh, so it's underwear. How the heck is it put on?" He turned it in all directions, puzzled. "And this still looks like girl's clothes," he said, referring to the Jellabiya.

Atem, after a bit of awkward hesitation, helped Joey put on the 'underwear', slipping it around him and tying it for him so it stayed in place before helping him into the clothing, slipping a set of gold bands onto his arms to complete the outfit. "It may look like 'girl's clothes,' but I assure you that this is what men in this time wear."

"Still looks like a dress to me," Joey grumbled. Even so, it felt good to finally have clothes on and he was slowly relaxing. His stomach growled very loudly to remind him that he hadn’t yet eaten.

Atem chuckled. "Come, your meal should have arrived by now." The pharaoh led Joey back to his bedroom, where a large spread of fresh food was laid out on a table, waiting for them. "Eat as much as you like, and if you are still hungry let me know; I'll have more food called up for you."

Joey couldn't stop himself from drooling and set into the food with gusto. He ate like a starving animal, which wasn't far from the truth; they had only given him enough food to keep him alive down in the dungeon. "Diest goof," he tried to say through a mouthful of food.

Atem watched him, slightly awed by how much he was able to eat in such a short amount of time. When Joey spoke—or tried to around a mouth full of food, anyway—Atem chuckled and gave him a smile. "I'm glad you're enjoying it. Would you like something to drink?" he asked, gesturing to the pitcher of fresh wine.

"What's this?" Joey wondered aloud, sniffing the pitcher. "Smells like grape juice." He then proceeded to drink the entire thing in only a few gulps. "Oof, stuffed," he said before flopping down on the floor, his arms and legs stretched out wildly.

Atem raised an eyebrow, his lips tugging upward in amusement. "I'm glad you've eaten your fill," he said after a moment, crouching down by Joey's side. "Would you like to take a rest first, or would you care to take a walk with me around the palace?"

Joey didn't hear him; he had fallen asleep right then and there and was softly snoring.

Atem smiled slightly. "I suppose I have my answer, then," he said quietly, rising to his feet. He took a blanket and pillow off of his bed, draping the blanket over Joey's sleeping figure and carefully slipping the pillow under his head before taking his leave—this would be as good of an opportunity as any to have a word with Seth.


	2. Chapter 2

Atem returned to the room a few hours later, smiling as Joey began to stir. "My apologies—I wasn't able to move you to a bed before you fell asleep. I hope you were able to sleep well, at least."

Joey blinked. "Huh, what? What happened?" He tried to get up but ended up getting tangled in the blanket and fell flat on his face.

Atem stifled a laugh behind his hand, crouching down by Joey's side. "Are you alright?"

Joey let out a muffled 'yes' before standing up to tower over the shorter boy. "So what is there to do around here?"

Atem stood up as well, smiling wryly at his question. "I'm going to assume you mean what there is to do for leisure, seeing as I have plenty of things to do around the palace that you would most likely find dull." He gestured for Joey to follow him out of the room. "Come, I will show you around—I just ask that you please stay by my side at all times, and try not to speak too loudly or too much; it isn't proper for anyone to casually speak with the pharaoh unless they are of a high rank."

" So you want me to be quiet?" Joey managed to stay that way for a few minutes, but couldn't help but ask more questions. "So where is everyone?"

Atem could barely open his mouth to say yes, that was what he was asking Joey to do, before the boy already moved on to do the opposite of what the pharaoh wanted him to do. Still, Atem couldn't bring himself to be even mildly annoyed, so he let it slide as he walked through the ornate halls at a leisurely pace. "All of the servants are busy doing their duties, and I believe the priests are—" He cut off as he heard Mahaad's voice in the distance, quickly pulling Joey down a different hallway with a smile that was both sheepish and impish. "... I believe the priests are looking for their pharaoh who probably should be doing that dull work he mentioned before." Not that anyone had the authority to do much more than give him a stern talking-to, of course, so he wasn't too concerned.

"But why can't they see me?" Joey asked, not really understanding the situation. Normally he wouldn't like someone grabbing him like that, but with Atem it was different, he felt fine with the boy touching him; it didn’t put him on guard for a fight. It was probably due to the fact that he looked so much like Yugi.

"Because you were a prisoner up until a few hours ago, and if you're seen walking around with me before I have the chance to explain things, then it's likely that they'll assume that you escaped on your own and are attempting to kidnap me or something of the sort," Atem explained, leading him down a different hallway. "I need to have a proper talk with my priests so that they understand that you aren't a threat and that you're to be treated with the utmost respect during your stay here; however, I am still uncertain of how much I should tell them... it's very possible that most—if not all—will be skeptical of you actually coming from a future point in time. However, without a doubt none of the servants will know anything of your being from another time; to them, you are just my new personal servant."

Joey blinked slowly. "Oh right, if I see that Kaiba-lookalike jerk again..." The rest of what Atem said finally set in. "Wait, what, servant? I ain't no servant. What does a personal servant even do?"

"If you see him again, I will be sure that he gives you an apology for his treatment of you," Atem said, his lips twitching in amusement as Joey belatedly caught the tail end of his statement. "Yes, servant, " he responded teasingly, his smile impish as he glanced at Joey's current attire. "You're dressed the part as well, so no one will question such a statement—as for what a personal servant does, normally it would be to tend to whatever needs their master has, but since it's just for appearance's sake I won't be requiring you to do anything but stay by my side and not get yourself into any trouble."

"So how am I gonna stay by your side while you do the stuff you need to do while staying out of sight?" Unless Atem could get away with sneaking around or something Joey couldn't see how he could manage this.

"Simple: I'm not going to be returning to my duties until I speak with my priests about you. You won't have to stay out of sight once they know about you—I just need to be the one to approach them rather than have them stumble onto us walking around with no explanation," Atem explained, continuing on his way down the hall. "It's just a matter of figuring out who to speak with... Mahaad will surely scold me for avoiding my work and venturing into the dungeons, but he would be the most likely to hear us out and believe that you are from a different time... perhaps Isis would believe us as well... Seth is far too stubborn, and after the way he treated you I would rather not go to him about this...." The young pharaoh continued muttering, more musing aloud than speaking to Joey.

"How many of these priests are there? And what do they do?" It seemed unnecessary to Joey to have that many of them. He wasn't paying attention to where he was going and ran right into one of the priests. "Oof, watch where you're going, buster!"

Atem was about to answer Joey when they rounded the corner, quite literally running into one of the six priests—and thankfully (for Joey's sake more than his own), it was one of the priests he'd hoped to find. "Mahaad, wait," he quickly stepped in before Mahaad could say anything, shooting Joey a look that clearly told him to watch his tongue before turning his attention back to his childhood friend. "If you would allow me to explain...."

~*~*~

Mahaad frowned as he searched the palace for the pharaoh, calling out to him once before remembering who he was dealing with—if Atem was going out of his way to avoid his duties, then making it known that someone was searching for him would only make the young pharaoh more determined to hide. With that in mind, he silently roamed the palace halls, searching the routes that Atem habitually took with the stealth of a person well-trained in the art of sneaking up on a certain two lazy children day after day (honestly, sometimes he felt more like their babysitter than their friend, though for all his griping he couldn't say he really minded).

He was rewarded a few minutes later as he turned the corner and bumped into someone, though it wasn't the person he expected—but standing next to him was the person he was looking for, which momentarily threw him off until he took a good look at the tall blond that he bumped into, recognition flashing in his eyes as he recalled Seth's mention of a mysterious, foreign intruder that had been brought to the dungeons.

It seemed as if the pharaoh caught on to his train of thought as he stepped forward, as if—oddly enough—to protect the boy, and Mahaad eyed the blond warily for a moment before sighing and releasing his grip on the Millennium Ring around his neck, which he'd reflexively grabbed in preparation to defend the pharaoh without even thinking. "... Very well then, I'm listening—however, you had better have a good explanation for this."

Atem let out a quiet, relieved breath, giving Mahaad a grateful smile before glancing over at Joey. "Perhaps you should be the one to explain? Since you were the one who was brought to this time, after all."

Joey relaxed his balled fists after realizing that Atem knew the man. He looked closer at the tall man, something dawning on him. "Holy crap, you look just like the Dark Magician!" Joey stared, open mouthed. He'd never thought he'd see someone who looked so much like a Duel Monster in person.

Atem's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "'Dark Magician'? Well I suppose he is fairly dark skinned, and he is a magician...," he responded, confused by Joey's outburst. "His Ka is the Illusion Magician, but I doubt that could be what you're referring to," he added as an afterthought.

"In my time we have this card game called Duel Monsters, and he looks like one of the monsters. Yugi's ace monster, actually." Joey was tempted to reach out and touch Mahaad, to make sure he was real, but didn't want to come off as a total creep.

Atem was immediately interested at the mention of a game. "A game with a monster that looks like Mahaad... and this creature is the 'ace monster' of your friend that looks like me?" He couldn't help but feel like such a thing was more than a mere coincidence, but he brushed the feeling off—he hardly knew anything about the future which Joey came from to draw any definitive conclusions, anyway.

Mahaad frowned, his curiosity piqued as he murmured, "A monster who looks like me, who is loyal to one who looks like the pharaoh... a magician... 'Dark' Magician...." The memory of a forbidden spell suddenly emerged in the forefront of his mind, but he quickly pushed the conclusion he'd come to aside before Atem could notice the slight paling of his complexion.

He would never use such a spell unless it was a dire emergency—it must only be a coincidence.

"I would like to hear an explanation from the very beginning," he said, giving the blond his full attention. "You and the pharaoh have both made a distinction between 'times'... so I am to assume that you were brought here from a different point in time, correct?"

"Yes, I'm from about 3,000 years in the future." Joey explained to the magician how he had come to the past, and what had happened to him since he got here, leaving out the part about his bath with Atem. Even to him the whole thing sounded a little far-fetched and crazy.

Mahaad remained silent as the boy spoke, taking in everything that he said with an expression that showed neither acceptance nor denial of his claims. Once the blond finished recounting his tale, Mahaad let out a drawn-out sigh, running a hand through his hair. "... Time-travel magic is extremely risky—you must have incredible luck to have made it here alive and in one piece. Often people who attempt traveling through time end up falling into rifts in time and space and subsequently erase themselves from existence. It's a very difficult spell to use, and an extremely risky one to cast on someone else," he said, before turning his attention to Atem. "I will inform the rest of the priests of the situation, and I will look into a way to safely return him to his own time. In the meantime, however...," he gave him a warning look. "This is not an excuse for avoiding work, so return to your duties. As for you," he then turned his attention to the blond, "do not repeat any of the information you told us to anyone else, and do not reveal any further information about the future—you could drastically alter the future if you aren't careful, and even if I were able to return you to your time, I can't guarantee that things would be as you knew them to be. Is that understood?"

"I can't do magic, I didn't cast anything on myself." With the exception of playing Duel Monsters, Joey had no knowledge of performing magic (and Duel Monsters were actually holograms anyway.) "I'd really like to know who sent me here in the first place...And yeah, yeah, no messing with the past or I might change the future, I know." He'd seen enough science fiction movies to know that much.

"Then someone must have cast it on you... for what purpose I cannot say, however," Atem mused, glancing over at Mahaad and receiving a nod in agreement. "If nothing else can be done for the moment then I suppose I'll return to my duties," he said with more than just a slight bit of reluctance, letting out a resigned sigh. "Mahaad, I leave this case in your capable hands—be sure to inform the rest of the priests before anything, and...," he hesitated for a moment, his expression turning worried for a moment as he continued, "... be careful."

Mahaad couldn't help but crack a small smile—though his friend was forced to mature faster than he should have, underneath it all he was still the same sweet, caring prince that Mahaad knew well. "As you wish, my lord," he responded, giving Atem a deep bow before straightening up and turning on his heel to begin the duty he'd been assigned. Convincing the priests—especially Seth—of the truth behind this absurd tale might just end up being more difficult than researching the spell to send that boy home….

_ Ra give me strength, _ he thought wryly, rubbing his temples as he felt a migraine already coming on. It was going to be a long, long day....

"So what are these duties you need to do?" Joey was starting to get bored with nothing going on. He'd like to actually go outside, he hadn't seen the sun in days.

Atem began walking again, gesturing for Joey to follow him. "Nothing interesting, really, so I will apologize in advance for boring you—I have to go over laws, ascertain that taxes were collected, hear the complaints and resolve the disputes of my people, and other such tasks. Occasionally I am required to take part in religious rituals, as well as war planning, but I don't have to do either of those as of now." After a moment, he frowned and lightly grasped his Millennium Puzzle as he added, "It is also my duty to oversee the conviction of criminals and the removal of their evil Ka, and to step in and aid with the sealing of the Ka if it proves to be too strong for my priests to handle—which it never does, of course."

"What's a Ka?" Joey asked. He saw a flash of black out of the corner of his eye and found that the kitten from earlier was following them. He stooped down to pick it up.

"Ka are spirits that reflect the nature of the person that they come from. They are fueled by the energy of the soul: the Ba," Atem explained, pausing and watching with a smile as Joey picked up the kitten that had apparently followed them before continuing. "Whenever you command a Ka, you lose Ba, and if you lose all your Ba you lose your life. The strength of the Ba determines the strength of the Ka—a person with a good soul will have a spirit or good Ka, but a person with an evil soul will have a monster or demon Ka. With the Millennium Items, the Sacred Guardians are able to seal the Ka of a person within a stone slab and would be capable of summoning and controlling them from the Shrine of Wedju," he explained.

Joey started absently petting the kitten. "That does sound an awful lot like Duel Monsters..." Remembering what Mahaad had said about not revealing things about the future, he didn't explain further. The kitten let out a contented purr as it fell asleep in his arms.

Atem was tempted to ask more about this 'Duel Monsters' game, his temptation nearly getting the better of him before he remembered Mahaad's warning. "Well, you may get to see the Ka removal and sealing ritual yourself if someone is brought in, so you can judge for yourself just how similar or different it really is," he responded before adding, "Though I'd like to hope that you don't have to witness such a thing." He led Joey out through the courtyards, nodding in acknowledgement to the servants that bowed to him as they walked past.

"Why? Is it painful or something?" Joey was a little intrigued to know what this Ka removal was all about. "Isn't it kinda weird to have all these people bowing to you and stuff?" he added as he saw all the servants bowing as they passed.

"I can't say firsthand how painful or not painful it is, since I've never physically experienced it myself, but from what I've seen and heard it definitely seems to be an excruciating process—which is to be expected, I suppose, since Ka are tied to a person's spirit, so it's the same as having half of your spirit torn out," he explained. The pharaoh blinked in confusion at Joey's question, as if never even having considered such a thing, before shrugging. "I suppose when you are raised in such a setting, you become accustomed to it."

They walked through the courtyards for a few minutes before reaching another section of the palace, Atem leading the way all the way up to a large set of ornate doors, which two guards immediately opened for him and his 'servant' to reveal a room larger than the courtyard itself. With a mixture of familiarity and resignation, the young pharaoh made his way into the room, walking all the way over to the throne before taking a seat with a quiet sigh before glancing up at Joey. "My apologies, but there are no seats aside from the throne in this room, so unless you wish to take a seat on the floor, you will have to bear with standing for the next few hours."

"Can't I just sit on the arm or something?" Joey asked, not waiting for an answer and perching himself on the arm of the throne. "How can you sit on this thing all the time? It's so hard and uncomfortable..."

Atem, while he secretly enjoyed the expression on Siamun's face as he looked on from the opposite side of the throne (it was a mixture between shock, horror, bewilderment, and indignation, among other various emotions), did not want his people starting to think that such behavior was acceptable (or worse... after all, such a position would most likely imply that the blond was a special kind of servant, and he did not want his kingdom finding out that he felt no attraction towards women), and so he shot Joey a glare and responded quietly between clenched teeth, "It is hard and uncomfortable because the arm of the throne is not meant to be sat on—now please remove yourself and take a seat on the ground before anyone arrives." It was obvious that his request was an order, as well as a thinly-veiled threat—the pharaoh was not above pushing Joey off of the arm of the throne and onto the ground if need-be, and if the boy didn't get up himself within the next few seconds, the pharaoh was considering doing just that.

Joey didn't seem to catch on to Atem's threat. "Wow, you sure are possessive over a dumb chair." He didn't get off, but started swinging his legs around like a small child in a chair that was too big for him.

Atem gave Joey a flat look, and—despite how cute the image of the blond was at the moment (not that he would admit such a thing aloud, of course)—pushed him off the arm of the throne, watching in a mixture of amusement and slight guilt as Joey fell to the floor. "I apologize, but I asked nicely and you didn't obey, so I was forced to take drastic measures—now stay there and keep quiet, the guards are about to let in the first set of people."

Joey let out an audible "humf" before sitting down beside the throne, his arms crossed and a glower on his face. "Stupid pharaoh and his chair," he muttered under his breath. Did he really have to treat him so harshly? He was just playing around. He also really didn't want to sit there for the next couple hours doing nothing, but he didn't really have a choice.

Atem felt even more guilty as he saw the upset expression on Joey's face, but there wasn't much he could do since the first of what would be a long list of people were brought into the throne room to air their grievances. By the time the fourth and fifth people were brought in, Atem was already tuning them out, though he was at least able to feign an expression of interest as the two tried to argue their cases about who the livestock belong to or some other trivial matter along those lines. The only thing that was keeping him awake was the feeling of Joey's soft hair, which he gradually became aware of sometime in between the second and third person as his hand dropped down to absentmindedly toy with it—but it didn't seem as if Joey really minded (or at least, he wasn't making a fuss about it if he did), and so he saw no reason to stop idly playing with the boy's hair if it was the only thing keeping him from falling asleep on the throne.

At first Joey was going to protest Atem playing with his hair, but he had already been scolded once today and he really didn't want to start anything by complaining about it. Besides, though he could barely admit it to himself, he kind of liked the feeling of Atem's fingers running through his hair. The blond found himself leaning into the stroking hand and slowly falling asleep for the second time that day.

Atem glanced over in surprise when he felt movement under his hand, his cheeks flushing slightly as he realized that Joey was actually leaning into his touches. Was he... enjoying this? It took all of the pharaoh's self-restraint to keep a soft smile from spreading across his features as he saw Joey beginning to nod off with a peaceful (and somehow adorable) expression on his face, and while part of him lamented having to sit through the rest of these people's grievances on his own, he found himself continuing to gently run his fingers through the blond's hair regardless as the hours passed—after all, the boy was still recovering, and he could use all the rest he could get (and not only that, but he had a feeling that Joey's patience would have worn out sometime around the twelfth person had he not fallen asleep, so this really was for the best for everyone involved).

Finally, a few hours later, the last person was escorted out of the throne room, and Atem let out a relieved sigh as he immediately got off of the throne and stretched his sore and slightly numb limbs. Now that he had no need to hide it, Atem allowed a soft smile to grace his features as he glanced over at the sleeping boy, crouching down by his side and quickly losing to the temptation of running his fingers through Joey's hair once more as he spoke quietly. "Joey... wake up, the hearings are over. If you're still tired, you can return to my room and sleep there if you wish."

Joey mumbled something inaudible and slowly blinked his eyes open, looking like a confused and sleepy puppy. "Huh, what, Yugi, you watch that video tape I lent you? I want it back..." The blond's head went back down as he fell asleep for another second. Suddenly, he was fully awake and stood up very quickly, almost tripping and falling for a second time that day, but was able to stop himself by grabbing hold of Atem's shoulders. "Oh, I'm still here, it's not a dream..." he said quietly, almost wistfully.

Atem chuckled quietly at the odd, mumbled statement, realizing that Joey was just talking in his sleep, and he patiently waited for Joey to fully wake up. He was startled as Joey suddenly shot up, just barely keeping his balance as the other boy gripped his shoulders to avoid falling over, and his heart clenched in sympathy at the tone of his voice and the expression on his face. "... My apologies," he murmured, knowing that apologizing would do nothing to help the boy return to his time yet feeling unsure of what else he could possibly say in response. He hesitated a moment before giving Joey a small, reassuring smile. "You will be home soon enough, don't worry—for now, how about we retire for the night? I believe my priests can handle everything else that needs to be done today."

Joey held onto Atem's shoulders for a little longer than was entirely necessary. Realizing he was still gripping them, rather tightly, he let go. "Sorry, didn't mean to hurt you," he apologized sheepishly. "Sure, sleep sounds good," he added after hearing the shorter boy mention them retiring. "I could sleep for a year at this point." Joey let out a huge yawn, stretching his arms and legs out wide.

Atem smiled, waving off Joey's concern (and resisting the urge to rub his slightly-sore shoulders). "It's alright, I'm fine." He chuckled quietly at the boy's comment, waiting until he was finished stretching before leading him out of the throne room and back through the halls of the palace. Within a few minutes, they were back in front of the large doors belonging to the pharaoh's personal chambers, and he led Joey into the room, gesturing towards the bed. "Make yourself comfortable," he said, stifling a yawn behind his hand as he pulled off his clothing and jewelry, setting it aside and leaving him in just his 'underwear' (as Joey had referred to the cloth) as he made his way over to the bed to sleep.

Joey stood watching as Atem took his clothes off. He felt that he probably shouldn't watch, but he was doing it right there in front of him... "Wait, there's only one bed?" he asked, searching the room for a second one.

Atem felt the boy's eyes on him as he undressed but said nothing on the matter (despite the light blush that colored his cheeks), instead raising an eyebrow when he spoke. "Unless there was a bed hiding somewhere in this room that I did not know of, then yes, there is only one bed," he replied with a touch of sarcasm, smiling slightly in amusement and laying down on one side of the bed. "There is more than enough room on this bed for two, or even three people." (He would know, since he'd often shared his bed with Mana and Mahaad when they were younger, after all.) "Now lay down and get some rest."

Joey found himself blushing as well. Even so, he stripped down and went over to the other side of the bed, not yet getting in but sitting on the edge. With the exception of when he was very little and Serenity had had a nightmare and wanted to stay with him, he'd never slept in the same bed with someone before. It was rather awkward.

Atem rolled onto his side, looking up at Joey in confusion as the boy sat on the edge of the bed instead of lying down. "Is something the matter?" He frowned. "If the bed is not to your liking, I could have a few servants bring a different bed into the room...."

Joey shook his head, his blond mop of hair poofing out around his head. He should stop being stupid, they were just sleeping. No big deal, right? "Nah, it's fine." He flopped down on the bed and pulled the covers over himself, yawning even wider than last time.

Atem smiled slightly, shifting under the covers and covering up a yawn as well. "Very well then. Goodnight, Joey, sleep well." The pharaoh closed his eyes, his exhaustion from such a long, eventful day quickly catching up with him as he swiftly drifted off to sleep.


End file.
